In 1989, Mazda launched a small rear-wheel drivev roadster, a category that was neglected by its former specialists, the English and Italian brands. This MX-5 (called Miata in the United States) has since become an icon. Its history began in 1984, when Mazda’s California design office, in competition with Japan’s, designed the Duo 101 concept car, which was the basis for the first MX-5.